The Lion's Legacy
by Artemis9
Summary: SG-1 and the Sliders have to team up in order to free their friends from a Goa'Uld prison. But things are not what they seem to be...


The Lion's Legacy  
  
„So what do you think? Are there any signs of human culture on P3X-8413, which would justify further research? All of our SG teams are assigned to missions, and unless there's a good reason, I won't send my men to an obviously deserted planet."  
  
Daniel Jackson frowned. It had been a long time since General Hammond had talked to him in such an imperious manner. Well, a lot had been going on in the Stargate facilities recently, and the General probably had a right to be stressed, so Daniel ignored his bossy tone.  
  
"Sir, I don't think we'll find anything on this planet which might be of any use for us. We should mark it in our files, though, as the vegetation looked very promising. Maybe there are new plant drugs to discover, or fast- growing eatable plants."  
  
"Always saving the planet", Hammond murmured and cleared his throat when he noticed that Jackson had heard him. "You are dismissed", he told him and turned towards a monitor. The screen showed the results of the calculations carried out by a high-speed computer to convert the data found on the cartouche on Abydos into useful coordinates.  
  
Daniel started to say something, but then he changed his mind, released his breath and turned to go.  
  
Suddenly a blue light filled the Stargate room and the control room in which Jackson and Hammond had discussed SG-1's most recent mission.  
  
"What the…" Garrett Mortens, who had been checking the function of the Gate, started to type fiercely on his keyboard. His fingers raced across the buttons as he stared by turns on the screen and on the Stargate that had obviously been opened from off-world.  
  
"What do we have here? Off-world activation? Did you receive an SG code?" General Hammond bowed over the desk.  
  
"Sir, I haven't received a code -" Mortens started.  
  
"Well, then close the iris!" Hammond cut him short. "What are you waiting for?"  
  
"Sir, the iris is closed." Helplessly, Mortens put his glasses straight and wiped some sweat from his forehead. "In fact, the Stargate hasn't even been activated."  
  
"What?" Jackson and Hammond called in unison.  
  
Daniel stepped towards the glass screen that divided the control room from the Gate room. Completely stunned, he looked at the Stargate. In its centre, a blue vortex had opened which had a close similarity to the event horizon as it looked like in the instant that the Gate was activated. This vortex, however, kept its shape and motion.  
  
"General, this has nothing to do with the Gate", he said. "At least I think so, I've never seen anything like this before…" Still gazing at the vortex, he noticed that the doors at the sides of the Gate room opened, and about 20 soldiers in combat suits and with heavy arms entered. Daniel looked at Hammond who still had a microphone in his hand. Although the tension was strong enough to make his neck ache, he had to smile. Always defending the planet, he thought.  
  
In this instant, Jack O'Neill rushed into the control room, his hair still wet and uncombed. He had apparently been taking a shower when Hammond had released red alarm for the whole station. "What's up here?" he called.  
  
"I don't have clue", Daniel said slowly. Hammond and Mortens stayed silent. They watched the vortex, which obviously had even more surprises to offer. Suddenly, somebody appeared in the blue whirl and was flung to the floor in front of the Gate. The soldiers aimed their guns at the person, but didn't fire.  
  
Before General Hammond could give order to do something, a second figure appeared and landed beside the first one.  
  
"What a ride", O'Neill remarked. "Did you soup up the Stargate, or what?"  
  
Daniel shook his head but silently agreed with Jack. The journey through the Stargate was rough, but they had never been spit out like this.  
  
Meanwhile, two more persons had entered the Gate room through the vortex, and as quickly as it had appeared, the whirl vanished.  
  
"Daniel, what's going on?"  
  
Jackson turned around and saw that also Sam Carter and Teal'C had entered the control room. Samantha stared at the closed iris and back at Daniel. "What…"  
  
"I don't know", Daniel, General Hammond and Jack answered at the same time.  
  
Teal'C didn't say anything. He only arched an eyebrow when he looked at the extraordinary situation in the Gate room.  
  
Without waiting for permission, O'Neill turned on his heel and dashed off to the corridor. The others, including Hammond, followed only a second later.  
  
* * *  
  
"Is everybody alright?" A tall young man with brown hair and blue eyes straightened himself and picked up a small black object from the ground.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yep."  
  
These answers came from another young man who looked astoundingly similar to the first one, a woman with reddish hair, and a black man who now started to brush greyish dust from his clothes. He looked around and froze when he saw the soldiers.  
  
"But I don't know for how long", he added and swallowed dryly. "Any ideas, bro?"  
  
"Don't panic", the young man answered. "Nobody's shooting at us yet, that's a good sign. I guess." Slowly he waved at the soldiers who looked at the arrivals expressionlessly. "Hey, friends. We're harmless, really. Peaceful travellers, there's no need to point those guns at us." He paused. "You're not going to talk to me, are you?" he finally added.  
  
The four figures gathered in front on the still closed iris.  
  
"So what now?" the second young man asked, his voice tense.  
  
"I have no…" the other started, but then one of the doors at the side of the room opened, and a man in his 40s rushed in. He wore army pants and a black T-Shirt, but no socks or shoes. Two dog tags dangled from a chain around his neck and identified him as a member of the military.  
  
He decreased his speed, then slowly made his way through two rows of soldiers. About ten feet away from the four visitors, he stopped and gave them an almost amused look that was hard to interpret. "And you are…?" he asked.  
  
With a concerned look at the armed men around, the young man stepped forward. "Quinn Mallory", he introduced himself. "These are my friends, Rembrandt Brown and Maggie Beckett, and my brother Colin. I guess we need to explain a few things."  
  
"Yes, you definitely have to", a voice resounded from the door. A stocky man dressed in a uniform of the U.S. Air Force energetically marched towards them, followed by a blond woman, a brown-haired man with glasses, and a tall black man with a strange golden symbol on his forehead. "You have entered military facilities without permission. Would you please tell us where you come from and how you got here?"  
  
Quinn cleared his throat. "That's a long story, Sir. Could we… discuss that somewhere else?"  
  
Hammond - that was the name printed on the plate on the right side of his shirt - regarded him and his friends for a few seconds, then gave his men a sign to leave.  
  
"Jenkins, Hanson, please search our guests for weapons. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but we don't want to take any risk if we can avoid it. I'm sure you understand that."  
  
Two soldiers searched Quinn, Colin, Maggie and Rembrandt but only found the timer Quinn was holding in his hand. The display showed 68 hours until the next slide.  
  
"Sir?" Jenkins handed the device to General Hammond. He took it and held it up, giving Quinn an asking look.  
  
Quinn anxiously watched Hammond handle the timer. "This belongs to our story, but I can assure you that it doesn't mean any danger to you or your men."  
  
Hammond considered this, and then nodded at the visitors. "Follow me."  
  
Quinn and his friends followed the General, escorted by Jenkins and Hanson. The barefoot man, the blond woman, the guy with the glasses and the man with the symbol on his forehead brought up the rear.  
  
* * *  
  
They entered a small room that was furnished with a long table and enough chairs for everybody in the room. They sat down, and Jenkins and Hanson took position at either end of the table.  
  
"Well then", Hammond continued. "Who are you, where do you come from, how did you get here, and what kind of device is this? Feel free to answer these questions in any order."  
  
Hammond didn't smile when he added this, so Quinn considered it might be better not to take this for a way to break the ice. "This might sound very strange to you, but please let me finish. We come from a different world…" he paused and waited for a protest, but the five people in military clothing didn't seem to be surprised. They only nodded and waited for him to continue. Surprised, Quinn fell silent for another two seconds. "And we are some kind of interdimensional travellers."  
  
The blond woman looked up, her eyes glistening in sudden interest. "Do you mean you found out how to make use of the Einstein-Rosen-bridge? You don't come from a different planet?"  
  
Quinn and his friends looked at each other.  
  
"Well - no. Er, yes", Rembrandt said. "What do you know about this? Are you Sliders, too?"  
  
"Sliders?" The woman smiled. "That's a good word. No, we haven't found out how to do interdimensional travels. We have something different, it's…" a sharp look from General Hammond made her fall silent.  
  
"Major Carter, this information is classified, no matter where our guests come from."  
  
"But Sir, they can travel through different worlds, each a possibility among an endless number of imaginable Earths. Right?" she turned to Quinn. He nodded.  
  
"Yes, we've been sliding through different worlds for quite some time now. Rembrandt and I come from the same Earth - well, actually, I'm from the same Earth as Colin but grew up on Remy's Earth… this is too complicated to explain it right now. The point is that we are still looking for a world to stay, and for a friend who was abducted and is now imprisoned on a hostile world. The device you are holding in your hand", he nodded toward Hammond, "is our timer. It shows us how much time is left until our next slide, and it makes our travels possible."  
  
Hammond looked at Carter. "Do you think this is possible?"  
  
Sam nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, of course. Interdimensional travel is not so different from… you know what. Just remember Daniel's experience with the mirror -"  
  
"Major Carter!" Hammond exclaimed.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sir. But yes, it is possible. While I studied the St… - device, I also worked on several theories concerning the possibility of different worlds. It has to do with quantum leap and also with wormholes, but I never really pursued this topic seriously because - well, there was something else I had to concentrate on."  
  
"When you're finished talking in riddles", Rembrandt joined in the discussion, "could you maybe tell us where we are and why there's so much military around. I wouldn't mind getting the timer back, either."  
  
General Hammond gave him a severe look. "I do not believe you are in a position to demand anything, Mr. Brown. These facilities are top secret; nobody except from the President and a few other persons knows that they exist. I can't tell you more about this, and even though Major Carter confirmed that your story might be true, you will stay under our supervision until you leave in", he looked at the timer, "about 68 hours. You will get your device back in time so that you can continue your journey. We are not going to imprison you, but please understand that we can't let you in on a project that concerns national security. We will make your stay as comfortable as possible, but you will remain in your assigned quarters. Do you wish to stay together?"  
  
They nodded.  
  
"Well then, Sergeant Jenkins and Sergeant Hanson will escort you to your room. After you have undergone an examination, we will provide you with food and drinks, and you can take a shower if you want to. Please be prepared for another talk later on."  
  
Quinn and the others stood up and followed Jenkins who led them to a small room. Hanson escorted them as well and took position in front on the locked door.  
  
* * *  
  
"Interdimensional travellers?" Jack looked at Samantha.  
  
Her eyes still gleamed. "Yes, sure. This is so exciting; I would have never thought I'd have the chance to explore this technology one day. They obviously use a technology similar to that of the Stargate, the difference is that they don't travel to different planets but to different worlds. Like what we experienced with that mirror that catapulted Daniel into a different version of Earth, just that they seem to have invented it on their own. This Quinn Mallory said they had been travelling for a few years. I don't even dare to imagine what they may have experienced. General Hammond, Sir, please allow me to talk to them. They might have visited a world in which the Goa'uld have been defeated by the humans, and maybe they have information which can help us."  
  
"Assuming they tell the truth, you might be right. But before you talk to them, I want you to examine this timer. It's showing a countdown, and I want to know if this device is what they told us that it is. If you can find out how it works - even better."  
  
O'Neill leaned back. "Sir, I may be wrong, but wouldn't it help a lot if this Mallory guy simply told us how it works?"  
  
"Colonel O'Neill, we don't know anything about these people. Dr. Frasier will examine them to make sure they are human and that they are not infected with some contagious disease, then we will consider talking to them about their journeys. Have I made myself clear?"  
  
"Yes, Sir." Jack saluted, and Hammond was sure he had seen sarcasm blinking in his eyes.  
  
"You are dismissed. All of you." Hammond returned O'Neill and Carter's salute and breathed deeply when SG-1 had left the room.  
  
He believed the four visitors. After all, he had seen their arrival, their clothes, and their honest faces. He had always had a good knowledge of human nature, and deep inside, he trusted them. However, he couldn't take any chances. The risk for mankind was too great if he made a mistake and let possible aggressors in on the Stargate.  
  
Thoughtfully he leaned back.  
  
* * *  
  
Daniel scratched his head as they walked down the corridor. "So we all agree they are telling the truth?" he asked.  
  
"Yep", O'Neill replied.  
  
Also Carter agreed, and Teal'C just nodded.  
  
"This means we'll ignore a direct order?" Sam wanted to know.  
  
"Not really", Daniel said slowly. "He didn't say it was an order. In fact, he said we could talk to them after Dr. Frasier has examined them. I say we should go and see if she's already finished."  
  
"That's my Danny Boy", O'Neill grinned and patted Jackson's shoulder.  
  
Together, they walked to the medical station where Dr. Frasier was examining the four visitors, guarded by two soldiers. She greeted the SG team and finished the last tests on Maggie.  
  
"They are all clean", she told O'Neill. "No… - contamination of any kind."  
  
Major Carter smiled. "We decided we are going to trust them. General Hammond doesn't know about this, so if you want to keep your conscience clean, you should now leave the room."  
  
Dr. Frasier shook her head. "I haven't been told much, and I'm curious what our guests have to report."  
  
They sent the two soldiers outside with the order to guard the door, and then sat down on the beds.  
  
"Mr. Mallory", Sam started.  
  
"Quinn, please."  
  
"Okay, Quinn. So you come from a parallel Earth, and you slide from one world to another?"  
  
"Yes, I discovered how to generate a vortex which works as a kind of tunnel between the worlds. This is the simplified version, though." He smiled.  
  
"Don't worry about me, I'm an astrophysicist. I know about this branch of science. But you're right; let's talk about the technology later. There's something we need to ask you."  
  
"Does it have to do with the contamination you're so worried about?" Maggie asked.  
  
O'Neill looked at Teal'C. "Show 'em Junior", he said, and Teal'C lifted his shirt.  
  
Quinn, Rembrandt, Colin and Maggie jumped up. Maggie grabbed a metal bedpan and held it like it was a weapon.  
  
"What's that?" Colin gasped.  
  
Quinn looked at him askance. "You heard it, it's Junior." He turned to O'Neill. "I don't understand. If these… things are what you're worried about, why isn't he locked up or in quarantine?"  
  
"You thought *you* had a long story, huh?" O'Neill grinned. "Get seated again, this is gonna be a long afternoon."  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh, that's why you call him Junior - he isn't grown up yet." Maggie slowly stepped towards Teal'C. "May I see him again? I hope you don't mind…"  
  
"You do not need to be shy, Maggie Beckett", Teal'C replied. "The Goa'uld larva is not dangerous yet."  
  
"I just thought…" Maggie looked at Teal'C, and then decided she wouldn't discuss his sense of shame right now. If showing this alien was all right with him, she would just adopt his point of view. Shivering, she regarded the slimy, winding worm. "I think I have seen enough", she then said.  
  
"Let me sum that up", Quinn said. "You travel through the universe, using a device which is more than 4000 years old. You fight an alien race that lives in human bodies as parasites. They act like ancient Egyptian gods and oppress peoples which are descendants of humans which lived on Earth and were abducted by the first - what do you call them?"  
  
"Goa'uld", Daniel helped him out.  
  
"That's already more than you should know", O'Neill remarked. "Actually, we'd have to shoot you right now, and I only hope you leave before General Hammond finds out that we told you all this."  
  
"The reason we told you about the Gate is that we hoped you have been on other worlds in which the Goa'uld have been defeated by the Ta'uri - humans, that is. Maybe you know about superior technology which might help us." Sam glanced at each one of them.  
  
"I'm sorry", Quinn answered. "We have never heard of this Stargate - which is not astounding as it's probably kept secret by the government in every world. We have met many Sliders, but the Gate is new to us. We've never met any Goa'uld, either. We have a problem with Kromaggs, though."  
  
"Kromaggs?" O'Neill drew a face. "Sounds nasty."  
  
Rembrandt nodded. "Right, that describes them pretty well."  
  
"They look similar to Cro-Magnon people, in fact, they're descendants of them. They just have highly developed technology, and even in their physical abilities, they're superior to us", Colin continued.  
  
"But it's not an illness, is it?" Jackson asked. "I mean, they are born as Kromaggs, and it's not contagious?"  
  
"No, they are a race of their own." Quinn stretched his legs. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"On one of our first missions, we encountered an epidemic which affected the brain and also caused physical changes. I thought if your problem had a similar reason, we might have been able to help you."  
  
"Looks like we can't help each other", Colin concluded.  
  
"Nevertheless, this is a very interesting meeting", Carter remarked. "Even though you will probably never have the opportunity to use the Stargate, you could explain the technology of Sliding to us."  
  
"And you can prepare us for a possible encounter with the Goa'uld", Quinn added and smiled.  
  
"I love those interdimensional meetings, they're heart-warming", Jack remarked. "Mr. Mallory, General Hammond still has your timer. Can you explain the technology to Major Carter, even if you don't have the device present?"  
  
"I invented it, so I don't need the timer to explain it, and I have a feeling I won't have to explain very much." He smiled at Samantha.  
  
O'Neill frowned. "Okay, we better stay here, this gives us a little more time without being discovered by General Hammond. So Quinn and Carter, you can have your scientists' talk over there, we'll instruct the others about the Goa'uld. Dr. Frasier, you can certainly help us."  
  
Sam and Quinn moved into a quiet corner and soon were discussing astrophysics, relativity and parallel universes, completely absorbed in their own world.  
  
Dr. Frasier showed the others what she had in her computer about the Goa'uld. Teal'C, O'Neill and Jackson added their practical experience about the Goa'uld's appearance, their weapons and behaviour. They also told the Sliders about the Tok'ra, the Nox, Asgard, and all the other races, hostile or friendly, they had encountered during their missions.  
  
* * *  
  
Hours later, everybody except from Teal'C started to get tired. Dr. Frasier rubbed her eyes which were sore from staring at the computer monitor.  
  
"I'm leaving for my round", she said and stood up. "I don't think there's anything left I haven't told you yet. If you have any questions, I'll be around for the rest of the day."  
  
"Thanks a lot", Rembrandt called after her.  
  
"My head is buzzing", Colin complained. "I could really need a break."  
  
"Don't worry", Daniel answered, "that's about it. We could tell you about some system lords in detail, but it seems like people - and Goa'uld - can be very different in different worlds. I hope that you will never get into this trouble, but now you should be able to identify the different races - no matter if they are hostile or not."  
  
O'Neill yawned. "Are you finished over there?" he called.  
  
Sam and Quinn looked up from several sheets of paper filled with drawings and formulas. Carter's cheeks glowed bright red. "Yes, we are", she called back. She stood up and hugged Mallory. "Quinn, you're a genius!"  
  
Quinn smiled. "It's been a long time since somebody was so enthusiastic about my work, but thank you."  
  
Sam hurried over to the others, tightly grasping the sheets of paper. "He really did it", she laughed. "It's so simple if you know where to start."  
  
O'Neill gave her a crooked smile. "I'm glad you're happy. Could we now get back to our topic?"  
  
"We had a topic?" Rembrandt grinned. He didn't know these people very well, but it was obvious that Colonel O'Neill was jealous of Quinn, and he couldn't resist teasing him a bit.  
  
Jack frowned. "Well, we should try and get you back into your room. Maybe we're lucky, and General Hammond won't notice you were gone." He made a gesture towards the door. "You too, Mr. Genius", he said.  
  
Quinn shrugged and walked outside. Sam shook her head and followed him, and also the others left the room.  
  
They had hardly left the medical section when suddenly the alarm siren started to whine. Red lights flashed, and armed soldiers ran down the corridors.  
  
"Now what's that again?" O'Neill asked angrily. "This red alarm is seriously starting to get on my nerves." He rolled his eyes. "Okay, let's see what's going on here. Carter, you take our Slider friends to their room. Jackson, you and Teal'C come with me. Let's see what we can find out."  
  
Sam took Maggie's hand and started to walk to the quarters, but suddenly two men appeared on the other end of the corridor.  
  
"That's Lieutenant Harper and Major Gershwin of SG-7", Daniel said.  
  
"Harper, Gershwin", Jack shouted. "What's up?"  
  
Gershwin raised a gun and fired. A blue flash of light shot down the corridor, hit the wall and left a black spot on it.  
  
"Shit, he's got a Zat gun! Take cover, everybody!" Jack dived away from another shot Gershwin had fired at him.  
  
None of the SG-1 members was carrying a gun, so the only thing left to them was to stay in cover.  
  
"Gershwin, what the heck is wrong with you?" Jack shouted, briefly lifting his head.  
  
Gershwin didn't answer, but he stared at him intensely, and suddenly his eyes started to glow.  
  
"He's a host", Daniel exclaimed. "And I bet Harper is, too."  
  
As if to prove this, Harper raised his voice. "Ta'uri! Ti'ach bok're Sekhmet!"  
  
"What did he say?", Colin panted.  
  
"I think our Goa'uld friend must have been in a hurry when she took Harper's body", Daniel gasped.  
  
"She?" O'Neill's voice cracked.  
  
"It's Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of…"  
  
"Can we please save the history lesson until we found a way out of here?" Quinn interrupted them. Then, all of a sudden, he reared, all his muscles became cramped, and he cried in agony. In the next instant, he dropped to the ground.  
  
"Watch out, there are two more!" Two men in Stargate uniforms had appeared on the corridor, opposite to Harper and Gershwin. They, too, fired at the eight people crouching on the ground.  
  
O'Neill covered Sam with his body, and Teal'C did the same with Maggie. She resisted and struggled to get on her feet. "Will you let go of me!" she shouted. "We have to fight!"  
  
"You cannot fight those weapons with your bare hands, Maggie Beckett", Teal'C responded. "You are not likely to succeed if you try to attack them."  
  
"Teal'C, I think she is right", O'Neill replied. "We're caught here - a lunge is our only chance. Maggie, you're with us, right?"  
  
"You bet, O'Neill!"  
  
"Colin, you and Maggie take Gershwin and that Sekhmet girl. Jackson, join them! Carter, you come with Teal'C and me! On three, one, two - three!"  
  
They ran towards the Goa'uld, still ducked and seeking cover wherever possible. Zat blasts hit the walls around them and filled the air with electric buzzing. O'Neill was surprised how far they had come when suddenly Carter screamed in pain and fell.  
  
"Damn!" he cried, and with renewed energy, his fists raised in fury, he rammed one of the officers who fired at them. He managed to grab the Zat gun and shot at the man once.  
  
The Zat blast showed effect: the Goa'uld had to retreat and make place for the man's true self.  
  
"Don't - she - so afraid", he sobbed, then the Goa'uld had regained control. His eyes glowed, and O'Neill didn't see a choice. He fired at him three times in a row, and the body vanished in an instant.  
  
Jack spun around. The situation seemed hopeless - he and Teal'C were still standing, and Teal'C was just about to finish the Goa'uld he was fighting with, but except from Colin, all the others were unconscious. At least he hoped they were, the alternative was something he didn't want to consider. Colin was struggling with Gershwin, but a punch with the closed Zat gun sent him to the ground.  
  
Jack aimed at Gershwin, Teal'C pointed his gun at Harper. Their opponents also raised their guns, and again, blue flashes dashed through the air like stray lightning.  
  
They almost made it.  
  
Almost.  
  
O'Neill saw it coming but couldn't dodge the blast. For a moment, the world was all blue pain. He fell to his knees, and before his head hit the ground, he had passed out.  
  
* * *  
  
Colin moaned and rubbed his forehead. His head ached, and his sight was blurred, and for a moment he thought also his ears were playing tricks on him, but then he realized that the alarm siren was still whining.  
  
Carefully he got on his feet, leaning against the wall as he did so. He wiped some blood from his eyes with his sleeve and looked around.  
  
The corridor looked like a battleground, which it actually had been. Bodies lay on the ground unmoving, and the walls were covered with black spots, some of which were still smoking.  
  
Colin saw Maggie, this scientist Jackson, and the tall guy with the Goa'uld in his belly, all of them at least unconscious, but the others seemed to have vanished. He couldn't detect the officers who had attacked them, either.  
  
Still insecure on his feet, Colin stumbled towards Maggie who was closest to him. He kneeled beside her and patted her cheeks.  
  
"Hey Maggie, wake up. Can you hear me?" In a sudden attack of anxiety, he felt her pulse, which was fast but strong. "Maggie, come on. Talk to me!"  
  
Maggie blinked a few times, then lifted her head. "You bastards", she suddenly cried out and grabbed Colin's throat.  
  
"Maggie", Colin coughed and tried to remove her hands from his neck. "Maggie, stop it. It's me, Colin!"  
  
Maggie released him and groaned. "What's up?" she asked. "Where have they gone?"  
  
"I don't know", Colin replied helplessly. "Quinn and Rembrandt are gone, and so are this Colonel and Sam Carter." He helped Maggie to get on her feet, and then they went over to the others who slowly started to come to.  
  
Teal'C was the first to regain consciousness, but he didn't say a word. He just stood there, and his face that used to be expressionless now showed concern.  
  
Finally they managed to wake Daniel Jackson. He briefly looked for his glasses, which were lying on the floor. When he had found them, he looked around and swallowed.  
  
"Teal'C", he started. "Do you think…?"  
  
"It is not probable that they are dead, Daniel Jackson. The Goa'uld vanished as well. They must have taken them with them."  
  
"What do you mean?" Maggie asked. "What are the chances that they're still alive, and what will happen to them if the Goa'uld have abducted them?"  
  
Daniel leaned against the wall. "It is possible that they're dead. Those Zat blasts can put you out of action for a while, but the second shot kills you. The third one - " he looked at Teal'C, "disintegrates you."  
  
"Okay, let's assume they aren't dead. What will happen to them now?"  
  
"It looked like SG-7 have encountered Goa'uld on their last mission. For some reason, they had to take over their bodies very quickly, and now they might be looking for new hosts."  
  
Maggie stared at him. "You mean, those - worms will creep into their bodies and control them?"  
  
Daniel nodded sadly.  
  
"Not if I can prevent it", Maggie replied defiantly.  
  
Daniel raised his head. "You're right", he said. "Let's go to the Gate room. We have to find out what happened and how severe the damage is."  
  
* * *  
  
Five soldiers who guarded the control room stopped them, but when General Hammond was notified of their arrival, they were let in.  
  
"I suppose you don't have any idea what happened?" Hammond asked.  
  
Daniel shrugged and started to say something, but Hammond did not even wait for an answer.  
  
"Let me give you the short version: SG-7 returned from P4X-6382, obviously carrying Goa'uld larvae inside their bodies. They were armed with Zat guns and Goa'uld shock grenades, and for all we know, three of them left through the Stargate after taking some of our men hostage."  
  
"Sir, I believe their hostages are O'Neill and Carter, and the civilians Rembrandt Brown and Quinn Mallory", Daniel replied.  
  
"What?" Hammond turned towards him. "How… - don't tell me you gave our guests a little guided tour through the Stargate facility!"  
  
"Sir, I can explain that…"  
  
"Don't try to explain anything, Dr. Jackson", Hammond growled. "First of all, we have to find out where those Goa'uld took them. We have the tapes of the camera in the Gate room, they should give us some clues."  
  
They gathered in front of the monitor showing the events in the Gate room. The tape showed the arrival of SG-7 who started to fire immediately upon their return.  
  
"Five men?" Daniel asked. "We've seen only four of them."  
  
An answer was not necessary. One of the SG team members had apparently gone to the control room and programmed the coordinates for their destined planet, the others went into different directions. Shortly after, two of them returned, dragging O'Neill, Carter, Rembrandt and Quinn behind them.  
  
"You said they were strong, but that's unbelievable", Maggie said in a low voice.  
  
The third man returned from the control room after he had activated the Stargate. Together, the Goa'uld passed the event horizon, and seconds later, the blue surface vanished, and the Gate room was empty and quiet.  
  
Hammond leaned on the desk and breathed deeply. "We have the coordinates", he said.  
  
"So what are we waiting for?" Maggie asked aggressively. "Let's go and kick some Goa'uld ass."  
  
"Not so fast, young lady", Hammond replied with a grim look. "We won't send any men to a planet occupied by Goa'uld without any knowledge about the situation. Besides, *you* won't go anywhere. You both are civilians, and you definitely will not be sent on a search and rescue mission. Was that clear enough?"  
  
Maggie nodded. Her eyes were dark with wrath, and it wasn't clear whom she was most angry with: the Goa'uld, General Hammond or herself.  
  
"Sir, there's more", Daniel remarked.  
  
"I suppose you have bad news for me, Jackson?"  
  
"I'm afraid yes, Sir. One of the Goa'uld said her name was Sekhmet. Sekhmet was an ancient Egyptian goddess, wife of Ptah and mostly pictured with a lion's head."  
  
"Does that mean trouble for us?"  
  
"Big way, Sir. Sekhmet brought epidemics and illnesses to mankind, and she was-", he swallowed, "sent by Ra to punish the humans."  
  
"Do you want to say Ra is still alive?" Hammond stared at him.  
  
"No, Sir. But she must have known him, and they must have been very close. She was a direct subordinate to Ra, and her husband Ptah is sometimes said to have created the universe."  
  
"Plain English, Jackson. What does that mean for us?"  
  
"We might have encountered a powerful system lord, and it's possible that she is not alone. One of the other Goa'uld might have been Ptah, and according to the myth, they had two children, Nefertum and Imhotep."  
  
"This leaves number five", Colin threw in.  
  
"I - I don't know, it's strange enough that five SG team members at a time have been taken over by Goa'uld. They might have disturbed a meeting of system lords, killed some of the hosts and were then overpowered."  
  
"They were three when they left", Maggie added. "What did they need the fourth person for?"  
  
"Why do you ask me?" Daniel started to lose his head. "Maybe they were planning another child, I - Don't - Know, okay?" He flashed at her.  
  
"Hey, calm down", she said conciliatorily. "We're all worried, and I didn't mean to get on your nerves."  
  
"Now please go back to your quarters, everybody", Hammond interrupted them. "We are preparing a probe which we will send to the coordinates the Goa'uld programmed. Teal'C, Dr. Jackson, you may join the rescue mission if you wish to. But first I want you to rest, there's nothing we can do unless we have the data from the M.A.L.P."  
  
"Sir, with all due respect, but do you really think this data will help us? The sooner we follow them, the bigger is the chance to rescue them." Daniel looked despaired.  
  
"Dr. Jackson, you heard what I said. Now please leave for your quarters, or I will have to arrest you."  
  
With a last angry look, Daniel rushed out of the room. The others followed him.  
  
Hammond unlocked a drawer and took the timer out. He glanced at the red display: 62 hours.  
  
* * *  
  
O'Neill watched as the others slowly started to open their eyes.  
  
"Morning, campers", he said and walked over to Carter. "You alright?" he asked.  
  
Carter nodded and sat up. "Where did they take us?" she wanted to know.  
  
"I have no idea, but we're definitely not in Kansas any longer."  
  
"Kansas? Do you mean the Stargate basis is located in Kansas?" Rembrandt looked up.  
  
"No, it's in Colorado. I just… - oh, forget it."  
  
Rembrandt turned to Quinn. "Colorado is still pretty far from home, friend."  
  
"Yes, I'd really like to know what brought us there. But we have bigger problems right now."  
  
"Right." O'Neill started to walk up and down in the room they were locked in. It was cool but bright, several barred windows that were too high to reach them let in a cold white light.  
  
He touched the stone wall, which was wet and clammy. It felt very solid, no chance to break a way through.  
  
"Isn't there a door in this room?" Rembrandt asked, looking around in astonishment.  
  
"No. Do you see this?" Sam gestured towards the ceiling where a round plate seemed to be embedded into the stone. "This is a kind of lift, the only way in and out of here."  
  
"Can't we use it?"  
  
"No, we'd need a special device for that. It looks like we're caught."  
  
O'Neill massaged his bare feet. The cold puddles on the ground had made them numb, and his toes had turned dark blue.  
  
"Oh Colonel, I forgot about that. You must be freezing." Carter shivered involuntarily. She, Rembrandt and Quinn were wearing jackets, but O'Neill hadn't gotten dressed since the Sliders had arrived, and he still wore only pants and a T-Shirt.  
  
"Don't worry about me", O'Neill answered with a sidelong glance at Quinn. "We've been in colder places, remember?"  
  
Carter thought of the second Gate in Antarctica and nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sir."  
  
"So what are we going to do now?" Quinn asked.  
  
"As long as you don't practice witchcraft and create a door in that wall, I don't see any options." O'Neill crossed his hands behind his neck and pointedly closed his eyes.  
  
"Colonel, weren't you the one who said 'where there's a will, there's an or'?", Carter teased him.  
  
"Yes, and now I say we should wait what happens. I examined the walls, and there's nothing here we could use for an escape, trust me. Our only chance right now is to wait until somebody comes to fetch us, and overwhelm them."  
  
"Like we overwhelmed the Goa'uld in the Stargate facility?" Quinn raised an eyebrow.  
  
O'Neill didn't open his eyes, but his face showed a certain irritation.  
  
Rembrandt coughed. He felt upcoming tension like electrostatic energy, and that was something they couldn't need here. Not now.  
  
"Well then, does anybody of you know something about this Sekhmet?" he asked cheerfully. "I'd like to know who locked us up and why."  
  
"I'm not very good in Egyptian mythology", Quinn started, "but I believe she's something like the evil version of Bastet."  
  
"Evil, huh? Sweet. And what a surprise." O'Neill stood up and started to walk around again.  
  
"Bastet is a cat goddess, and Sekhmet has a lion head, I believe. That's about all I know, sorry." Quinn shrugged.  
  
"That's more than we could come up with", Samantha replied and gently touched his shoulder.  
  
Quinn gave her a grateful smile.  
  
"What do you think happened to the others?" Rembrandt wanted to know.  
  
"Don't worry about them", Jack answered. "I saw how Sekhmet knocked out his brother", he nodded towards Quinn, "so I don't believe they killed them. Those Goa'uld wanted us, and they probably didn't care about what happened to the others. They may already be looking for us."  
  
"I hope you're right", Rembrandt sighed.  
  
* * *  
  
Daniel, Teal'C, Maggie and Colin were sitting each on one bed. None of them said a word. They had talked for a while after Hammond had sent them away and they had gathered in this room, but now everything was said.  
  
They had summed up that Sekhmet must be a system lord looking for a new host, and that Carter as the only woman would at least be short-listed for this dubious honour.  
  
Daniel was convinced that also Sekhmet's husband Ptah had to be involved, and that they had probably just stirred up a hornet's nest.  
  
If the Goa'uld had left for their home world, this was a dangerous place to go, but it was also an unexpected chance to defeat two of their enemies' greatest leaders.  
  
The door opened, and Sergeant Jenkins looked inside. He told them that the probe had been sent to the coordinates the Goa'uld had dialled.  
  
They followed Jenkins to the control room where General Hammond already expected them. He briefly glanced at Maggie and Colin, then turned to Daniel and Teal'C.  
  
"Here's what the camera recorded", he said and gestured towards a monitor. They saw only thick woods, blue sky, and when the probe turned, the Gate and the dialling device.  
  
"I won't ask how this is supposed to help us", Daniel murmured.  
  
"Dr. Jackson, you and Teal'C will join SG-6. Is there any more information you can share with us before you leave?"  
  
"Sir, usually I'm not the one to ask for something like this, but I think we should send more than only one SG team to this world. It could be the home world of mighty Goa'uld lords, and they are certainly guarded by many Jaffa. They might have arms even more dangerous than Zat guns and staff weapons."  
  
"The marines from SG-3 will cover your back. Are you ready to go now?"  
  
"General", Colin interrupted them, "we must go with them. We have to be together for the next slide, and we don't have much time left."  
  
Hammond took the timer out of the drawer again and looked at the display. "You still have about 60 hours. That's more than enough time for our teams to get your friends back to Earth."  
  
Maggie energetically shook her head. "Sir, have you considered that your SG teams might be captured? If we take the timer with us, we'd have another possibility to escape. Besides, I'm not a civilian, I was a commanding officer in my world's army." She stood there, arms akimbo, and defiantly returned Hammond's look until he sighed resignedly.  
  
"I suppose as you are visitors from a different world, our laws and regulations are not necessarily binding upon you. Do you realize that you go there on your own risk? Of course the SG teams are assigned to protect you, but their main mission is to free Carter, O'Neill, Brown and Quinn Mallory. When it comes to the worst, you'll be on your own."  
  
"We realize all that, Sir, and we're willing to take this risk." Maggie looked straight into his eyes.  
  
Hammond glanced at Colin who nodded imperceptibly, and acquiesced. "Hurry up, you have to change your clothes before you go. You need appropriate equipment for this mission."  
  
Maggie thankfully smiled at him, and she and Colin left with Sergeant Jenkins.  
  
"Jackson, Teal'C. I believe those Sliders have survived many enough dangerous situations on different worlds that they can look after themselves. Just take care that they don't act thoughtlessly. They don't have any experience with Goa'uld, you are our experts." He regarded them for a second. "Bring them back. And don't forget to look after yourselves."  
  
* * *  
  
Minutes later, SG-6, SG-3, Daniel, Teal'C, Maggie and Colin were standing in front of the Gate. All were dressed in olive SG uniforms adequate to the cool and humid environment on the hostile world.  
  
On the sleeves of Daniel and Teal'C's uniforms, SG-1 badges were attached. Colin and Maggie's uniforms showed no military badges of any kind.  
  
Colin was trying to get his helmet in a tolerably comfortable position when General Hammond's voice sounded from a loudspeaker at the wall.  
  
"I expect to see all of you back in 60 hours, and each team is supposed to report once every 12 hours. If you get the chance to", he hesitated and looked at Maggie through the glass pane, "kick some Goa'uld ass, give them my regards. Good luck!"  
  
Chevron seven locked, and the Stargate opened.  
  
Spellbound, Colin and Maggie stared at the glistening surface of the event horizon, which looked like a misplaced well illuminated by a distant moon.  
  
"Wow!" Slowly Colin walked up the ramp and touched the event horizon like Daniel had done before his first journey through the Gate. A small circular wave originated from the spot where his fingertip had touched the surface.  
  
Maggie stepped behind him.  
  
"Hey Colin, we have something to do", she reminded him.  
  
"Okay." He turned around and gave Jackson an asking look.  
  
Daniel nodded. "Go."  
  
Colin closed his eyes and took a big stride.  
  
* * *  
  
While Rembrandt and Samantha had sat down on the wet ground, Quinn and Jack were now both restlessly roaming the room.  
  
"Hey tiger", Rembrandt called Quinn, "you'll leave a ditch in the ground if you make another few rounds. And you", he turned to O'Neill, "will rather leave a trail of blood pretty soon, Colonel. So could you two just sit down? You're making me nervous. You said we have a few seconds from the activation of that elevator to the arrival of our friends, so we can just wait right here."  
  
Reluctantly, both dropped to the ground.  
  
Sam stifled a smile. Like Rembrandt, she had noticed the suppressed tension between Jack and Quinn, and although their situation was serious, their unconscious territorial behaviour amused her.  
  
"Why did you say the Goa'uld wanted us?" Rembrandt asked Jack. "I mean, what can be so special about us?"  
  
O'Neill fiddled around with a small stone he had picked up from the ground. "Goa'uld want healthy and strong hosts", he said. "I don't claim that we are first choice, but none of us have any physical disabilities. If this Sekhmet is really female, she probably wants a female host. Carter, that would be you."  
  
"I feel honoured."  
  
"SG-7 knew us, that is, Carter and me. They knew that we possess knowledge about the Stargate Command and Earth in general which would be useful for the Goa'uld. So if they needed new hosts, it must have been like Christmas for them when they saw us on the corridor."  
  
"I understand why they didn't take Teal'C, but what about Jackson? Why did they leave him and took Remy and me instead?" Quinn insisted.  
  
"Maybe they were in a hurry and had to take what they found first", O'Neill replied with a sugary smile, leaving no doubt about whom he meant.  
  
* * *  
  
The sky was clear, the air was humid and cold. Daniel looked around while SG-3 secured the Gate and the area around it.  
  
As the probe's camera had shown, the Stargate was placed on a clearing in a forest. Daniel couldn't detect any trail or path which led to a town or building.  
  
"Any suggestions, Dr. Jackson?", SG-6's Major Bukowsky asked.  
  
Daniel shook his head. "I'm afraid we have to look for a hill or something to get a better view over the geographical conditions. Goa'uld don't usually take long ways, so if they didn't take a space ship from here - which I don't hope - their palace must be nearby."  
  
They formed three teams two of which set out to explore the woods.  
  
After four hours of searching without any result, Daniel stopped. He gave his team a sign to stop and sat down on a big rock.  
  
"This is stupid", he said. "This part of the planet looks exactly like the area around the Gate. How are we supposed to find anything here?"  
  
Major Bukowsky, who completed Daniel's team with two of his men, took his helmet off. "Dr. Jackson, it's getting dark. We should contact the Gate team and send them our message for the Stargate Command, and then pitch camp for the night."  
  
Daniel bowed his head. "Okay, Bukowsky. We should also prepare a plan for tomorrow. This search has to be organized, or else we won't find anything but trees and rocks here."  
  
Bukowsky nodded and returned to his men, who sent out the necessary messages.  
  
Maggie and Colin approached Daniel and dropped in the grass beside him. Teal'C stood guard, the staff weapon in his right hand.  
  
"It's not looking very good, huh?" Maggie asked.  
  
Daniel shook his head. "I don't know what I thought when I joined this mission. I mean, I believed it would be much easier to find them. This is ridiculous, we're running through the woods like boy scouts." He uttered a cynical laugh. "But those would probably have found something."  
  
Colin had picked a blade of grass and was now chewing on it. "Maybe we are not seeing the wood for the trees", he remarked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Daniel had taken off his glasses and was rubbing his temples.  
  
"What exactly are we looking for?"  
  
"Some kind of building, most likely a temple or some kind of pyramid."  
  
"So this is a typical Goa'uld world?"  
  
"Not really. Ra, for example, very often visited Abydos, a desert planet with a hot and dry climate. I guess you can say he lived there."  
  
As Colin kept on chewing, the blade of grass got shorter, and he wrinkled his nose. "So all in all, it's highly improbable that this planet is a permanent residence of Sekhmet?" he concluded.  
  
Daniel covered his face with his hands. "Are you trying to drag me down? What other choice do we have? If they aren't on this planet, we'll never find them."  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to discourage you. I just think they probably won't build such a spectacular palace to live in if they hardly come here. Maybe they'd build something more - functional."  
  
Daniel looked up. "Has anybody ever told you that you're a genius?"  
  
"Usually that's my brother's title, but as he isn't here right now…" Colin smiled sadly.  
  
Maggie leaned on his shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find them", she said.  
  
Bukowsky and his men returned, and they started discussing the possibility of unobtrusive Goa'uld buildings somewhere in the woods.  
  
They agreed on a search radius of six miles around the Stargate, and decided to look for any sign of hidden or subterranean buildings, or any device that might be used for transport purposes.  
  
Daniel decided to take the first guard with Teal'C and Bukowsky, and while he stared into the dark woods, he brooded over a possibility he might have missed until now.  
  
* * *  
  
When the sun set, it started to get even colder in the room. Long shadows appeared on the walls, and it was difficult to make out details.  
  
Suddenly, a loud noise filled the room, and the metal plate in the ceiling disappeared. They could now see a hole where the plate had been, illuminated by a cold blue light.  
  
"Show time!" O'Neill said and stood up. He approached the place where several metal rings seemed to drop from the ceiling. Sam, Rembrandt and Quinn followed him, ready to put up a fight, but when the transport beam filled the column formed by the rings, the only thing which appeared was a bowl filled with an indefinable white slime.  
  
"Oh." O'Neill stepped towards the bowl and picked it up. "Anybody hungry?"  
  
* * *  
  
Daniel woke up before the sun rose. He went over to Colin and asked, "how much time left until your slide?"  
  
Colin raised the timer. "45 hours and 23 minutes. The nights are very long on this planet."  
  
"And so are the days", Daniel replied. "Some planets rotate much slower than Earth. Abydos, for example, has 36-hour days. It's a shame that we can't search while it's still dark. We do have infrared devices, but the risk is too big that we could overlook something."  
  
All the others had gotten up as well, and impatiently they waited for the sun to rise.  
  
The morning light was cold white, but it revealed a beautiful landscape. The dark green trees swayed in a frosty breeze, and the air was chilly but clear.  
  
They set out again, this time in four teams, leaving two men at the Stargate.  
  
They stayed in contact and informed each other about the progress of their search, which wasn't very encouraging.  
  
Around noon, Colin dropped his backpack and leaned against a tree. "Come on, folks, let's rest for a few minutes."  
  
Daniel and Maggie took off their heavy backpacks as well, and also Teal'C stopped. Daniel blew his nose and put the tissue back into his pocket. He tried to make out any change in the ever uniform woods when his glance was caught by something. His mouth opened, he stared at Colin.  
  
Maggie saw his gaze and was about to ask what was wrong when she noticed it as well. Her jaw dropped, and she didn't say a word.  
  
Also Teal'C noticed their astonishment, but when he realized what was going on, his voice was calm as ever.  
  
"It looks like we have discovered something", he said.  
  
Colin looked up. "What?"  
  
Daniel stepped towards him. "Colin, I think you have just found some Goa'uld facilities. Amazing."  
  
When he noticed that he wouldn't get a useful answer right now, Colin stepped away from the tree and turned around. He needed a few seconds to realize that there was no stem at all. He had actually leaned against empty space right between two trees. Or at least it looked like there was nothing but air.  
  
Daniel and Maggie had approached the invisible barrier and were now touching it.  
  
"This isn't a field of force", Maggie said. "It feels like a stone wall."  
  
"Yes", Daniel replied, "this isn't a barrier, it must belong to a building. It seems like it is some kind of camouflage. Teal'C, have you ever seen anything like this before?"  
  
"No. The Goa'uld do not see the necessity to hide, so there has never been the urge to develop a camouflage device."  
  
"Yes, right, right." Daniel was totally absorbed in examining the wall.  
  
Maggie interrupted him. "Dr. Jackson, we should call the other teams and see if we can find a way inside, or maybe we can find the switch for this thing."  
  
"I suppose it won't be that easy, but I think we have found what we're looking for. Yes, we should send a message to SG-3 and SG-6 and tell them to join us here."  
  
Maggie started to fumble on the radio and soon had informed the other teams about their discovery.  
  
Colin shyly approached Teal'C. "Er, excuse me", he said.  
  
Teal'C turned towards him and gave him an inscrutable look.  
  
"May I ask you something?" Colin continued.  
  
"This already was a question."  
  
"Uhm - yes. What I really wanted to ask was: Do you think this", he gestured towards the invisible building, "was created by Goa'uld? I mean, you just said they needn't hide. So why should they build a house on such a frosty planet and even hide it?"  
  
"I do not know."  
  
"That's your answer?"  
  
"Yes. I do not possess knowledge of any Goa'uld who ever hid their palace, but it is possible that this is a Goa'uld building."  
  
"Well then - thank you."  
  
Teal'C nodded, and Colin walked back to Daniel, shaking his head.  
  
"He doesn't talk much, does he?"  
  
"Usually not. But once he starts telling Jaffa jokes…" Daniel smiled. "Never mind, what did you ask him?"  
  
"I wanted to know if this really was made by Goa'uld. I mean, what reason should they have to hide?"  
  
"I was wondering, too. Maybe they don't hide themselves but something or somebody else. Let's hope this was built by Goa'uld and not by a people which lives here and hides from the Goa'uld."  
  
"Honestly, what do you think?"  
  
Despaired, Daniel looked into his eyes. "We haven't been attacked. It's a weird irony, but I don't think this is a good sign. Goa'uld wouldn't let us come so close."  
  
"On the other hand, if there's a people on this planet which knows about them and hides from them, maybe they know where they have gone from here." Colin smiled insecurely.  
  
"Good thought."  
  
Maggie returned, dragging her backpack behind her. "The other teams are coming. Are we going to wait for them here, or should we keep on trying to find a door to this - whatever?"  
  
"We better wait for them. Who knows what is waiting for us once we have found an entrance, we might need backup." Daniel opened one of the pockets of his jacket and took out a chocolate bar. "We should eat something, I believe we won't get much rest in the next hours."  
  
* * *  
  
O'Neill hadn't slept a single minute. Carter had convinced them that they should sit very close to each other to keep the biting cold away, but nevertheless he was so stiff he could hardly move.  
  
When the cool light again fell through the windows after a very long night, he sighed in relief, hoping that it would get at least a bit warmer. He looked around and saw that the puddles on the ground were frozen, shiny mirrors reflecting the light to the ceiling.  
  
Rembrandt was sitting next to him, on his other side, Carter was still breathing calmly. Quinn sat to Carter's left.  
  
"You're one stubborn fellow", Rembrandt suddenly whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look at yourself, you're frozen. Why can't you just ask one of us to help you out? See, there's a difference between bravery and stupidity."  
  
"I don't know what you mean."  
  
"Oh, come on, it's obvious. You and Quinn behave like two teenagers trying to stake off their claims, and I believe you're both old enough to keep your hormones under control. You needn't impress anyone here. Major Carter is happy to have found somebody she can talk to about her research, and she is fascinated by Quinn's insight into an amazing field of science, nothing more."  
  
Jack looked at him in comic suspicion. "And what were you on your home world? A shrink or a preacher?"  
  
Rembrandt laughed silently. "In fact, I was - I am - a singer."  
  
He closed his eyes, laid his head back and started to hum.  
  
Soon O'Neill recognized the melody of "Slow Train", and when Rembrandt started to sing, he couldn't help it and joined in.  
  
"Can't help but wonder what's happenin' to my companions…"  
  
"Are they lost or are they found…", a bright voice complemented their choir.  
  
O'Neill turned his head and looked into Carter's eyes. She had been wakened by the song, and so had Quinn. He shortly hesitated, but soon they were all singing, their voices echoing from the bare walls. Their slow Blues version of "Slow Train" wouldn't have attracted many listeners, but they were not singing for an audience.  
  
"But it sure do bother me to see my loved ones turning into puppets, there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend", they finished the song, very well aware that they had just described their own situation.  
  
Sam closed her eyes and let the warm feeling work on herself, which the little interlude had caused inside of her. Then she turned to O'Neill.  
  
"Cold seems to become you", she said. "Your voice sounds a lot better than back when you sang 'Row Your Boat'."  
  
O'Neill folded his fingers. "I don't even know the words to that song. And I had time to practise." He looked down and tried to hide his blush when suddenly the teleport device was activated again.  
  
They all jumped up, and Jack suddenly experienced how right Rembrandt had been. He even had difficulties to walk, and a fight seemed impossible in his condition. If only he had given up his stupid pride!  
  
Quinn reached the metal rings first. When he saw what had appeared, he signed the others that there was no imminent danger.  
  
"It's only food again. And - clothes?" He looked at the heap lying on the ground.  
  
Carter, Rembrandt and O'Neill arrived. Carefully they picked up what had been sent into their prison: fur jackets, and trousers and shoes made of the same material.  
  
"Can you tell me what this means?" Rembrandt asked. "Do the Goa'uld care for their future hosts?"  
  
Carter put on one of the jackets and helped O'Neill into another one. "If they're supposed to serve as hosts for their leaders, yes. But this is strange. They could easily heal our bodies in their sarcophaguses, and there's no need for them to care for us like this. I'd guess that they want to keep us here for a while, but this doesn't make much sense. They looked like they needed hosts soon, and Goa'uld don't take hostages."  
  
"Oh wait." Quinn touched his forehead. "Does one of you know how long we've been in here?"  
  
O'Neill looked at his watch, but it hadn't survived the Zat blast. Rembrandt and Carter couldn't help, either.  
  
"Oh boy, we're caught on a strange planet without our timer. I just hope that Colin and Maggie are smart enough to stay on Earth. If they are here when they Slide is due, they might land on the same planet - only without a Stargate."  
  
* * *  
  
"We have 37 hours and 21 minutes", Colin said after he had looked at the timer.  
  
"And we shouldn't waste a single minute", Daniel added.  
  
SG-3 and SG-6 had arrived, and now they began walking along the invisible wall, trying to find out how big it was, and looking for an entrance.  
  
Two hours later, they had circled the building once. It covered a large area, about two by two miles.  
  
"This can't be a house", Jackson concluded. "It must be a protective wall, I believe this is a town."  
  
"But how do we get in?" Bukowsky asked.  
  
Colin grinned. "In my world, we have a very easy way to do that", he smiled, dropped his backpack and simply started to climb the wall.  
  
Bukowsky coughed, hiding an embarrassed grin. In their efforts to find a way to disable the camouflage, they had forgotten that the wall was invisible, but still only a wall.  
  
They watched Colin seemingly hanging in the air, then they prepared to follow him. The Marines from SG-3 were the first to jump off the wall. In the same instant they disappeared, but their voices sounded clearly through the stones. "Everything's secure here. Nobody in sight."  
  
When Daniel had reached the top of the wall, he almost lost his balance. He completely forgot to hold on to the stones when he tried to digest what he saw.  
  
Where they had seen only trees, a beautiful village covered about half of the area that was bordered by the 10-feet high stone wall.  
  
They had entered the area at the point farthest away from the buildings and were now standing in a field covered with some sort of cultivated cereal.  
  
Daniel dropped on the soft ground and gazed at the little town. All houses were made of wood, except from the building in the very centre of the settlement, which was built of light grey stone. It looked similar to a temple, its base quadratic, and the roof almost flat. Low steps led towards the entrance which was guarded by two majestic stone lions, one at each side, and a jaguar, frozen in a giant leap, right above the entry.  
  
"Sekhmet's palace", Daniel breathed.  
  
SG-3 raised their guns and waited for instructions while they were carefully watching the town. They were standing about a mile away from the nearest houses, and it was unlikely that they could be seen standing in the cereal, but the Marines were drilled to always to be on the alert.  
  
"Dr. Jackson, what are your suggestions?", Bukowsky asked. Daniel didn't have the command on this mission, but in this situation, advice from somebody who knew about ancient cultures definitely would be helpful.  
  
Daniel looked through the binoculars Bukowsky had handed him. "Well, this settlement doesn't look Egyptian at all. The building in the centre reminds me of a Greek temple, but without any pillars. The roof is too flat, too. The lying figures in front definitely represent Sekhmet, I can make out human arms. If the Goa'uld aren't here, the people of this town must at least know them. Maybe Sekhmet visits them as their goddess." He panned the binoculars. "I don't see any people, though there's smoke rising from some of the houses. The town is definitely not deserted. Perhaps they're attending some kind of assembly."  
  
"Do you think we can enter the town and get into the temple?"  
  
"Do we have a choice? We must find out who lives here, and it doesn't look like somebody was waiting for us." He laughed nervously. "Else, what do we have our Marines for?"  
  
Bukowsky smiled. "So let's go."  
  
The Marines sneaked through the fields in a crouch, the others followed them. Teal'C held his staff weapon, ready to fire.  
  
They entered the town and approached the temple. No person was in sight, only a few wild cats watched them from the roofs of the wooden houses.  
  
"It's too quiet here", Bukowsky said and anxiously looked around.  
  
As if to confirm his worries, two tall figures in Jaffa armour left the temple. Their helmets were closed, the heads were those of lions.  
  
Everybody lifted their guns, but following a sudden presentiment, Daniel shouted, "don't shoot!"  
  
The two Jaffa had raised their staff weapons as well, but now they froze just like the SG teams.  
  
The tension was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.  
  
Five more Jaffa came out of the temple, and they slowly raised their staff weapons but didn't shoot. One of them walked a few feet further than the others. He stopped, lowered his weapon and opened his helmet.  
  
"Jaffa! Tak'zet bakhtel enon!" he shouted.  
  
Daniel realized that he had addressed Teal'C, and waited for him to respond.  
  
"Renek, Apophis. Enon Ta'uri bakhtan, par'tot tok'Apophis. Web'be rai'a Sekhmet!"  
  
"What did they say?" Bukowsky whispered.  
  
Daniel bowed over to him. "The Jaffa asked Teal'C where he came from, and Teal'C answered that he once belonged to Apophis, but now has joined the Ta'uri in their fight against Apophis. He also said that we're not trying to attack Sekhmet."  
  
"Do you think that was a good answer?" Bukowsky asked sceptically.  
  
"Looks like it", Daniel answered in relief, as the Jaffa made a gesture, and his men stepped aside and thus cleared the way to the entrance of the temple.  
  
"I think they want us to enter", Daniel said. "And it will be better if we all put our guns down."  
  
Reluctantly, the Marines lowered their guns but didn't drop them. Bukowsky's men followed Daniel's advice and carefully laid their pistols on the ground.  
  
When they approached the temple, the Jaffa let Daniel, Colin and Maggie in, and when Teal'C reluctantly handed his staff weapon to their leader, he also was allowed to pass. SG-6 entered behind them, but the Jaffa wouldn't let SG-3 in.  
  
Daniel turned around. "Your choice", he called to them. "Give them your guns or stay outside."  
  
"We'll stay here and secure the building", SG-3's Major Franklin shouted back.  
  
The Marines went a few feet away from the temple, two of the Jaffa guarded the entrance. The others followed the Ta'uri.  
  
"I hope you know what you're doing", Bukowsky said to Jackson as they entered the temple.  
  
* * *  
  
The inside of the temple was plain but beautiful. The white light didn't seem cold in here but gave the place a quiet and solemn atmosphere.  
  
Daniel noticed that there were only a few Egyptian symbols engraved in the walls, others looked different from all written languages he had ever seen.  
  
They were led toward a round table made of the same grey stone as the rest of the building. Ten wooden chairs stood around the table, and the Jaffa gestured their visitors to sit down. Together with the four men from SG-6, they occupied eight of the chairs.  
  
Daniel looked around, and he saw a round metal plate in the ceiling, the typical sign for a Goa'uld teleport device. He wondered where it might lead.  
  
Only seconds after they had got seated, Lieutenant Harper and Major Gershwin entered the room through a corridor in the back.  
  
Everybody at the table stiffened.  
  
Of course, Daniel thought. If they hadn't found new hosts meanwhile, Sekhmet still had to be in Harper's body. He wondered what this might mean for O'Neill, Carter and the others.  
  
Harper and Gershwin sat down on the two empty chairs.  
  
For a moment, nobody said anything.  
  
Then Sekhmet started to speak. Thanks to Harper's knowledge she talked in English.  
  
"Welcome Jackson and Teal'C. Our hosts know you and the other warriors, but who are those two?" She pointed at Colin and Maggie.  
  
"They are Ta'uri", Daniel replied. "They were visitors in our basis when you abducted their two friends, and two of our friends as well. Now we have come to ask you to release your two hosts as well as the four people you must have imprisoned here."  
  
"Why should I? You have killed two of us- "  
  
"Because you attacked us!" Maggie interrupted her angrily.  
  
"We were not going to kill you, we were only looking for appropriate hosts as your SG-7 team had killed the old ones and SG-7's bodies were not suitable for our purposes."  
  
"We had supposed they might have fired at you in panic and that you took their bodies to survive." Daniel paused and then took a deep breath, hoping that his suspicion was right. "You aren't Sekhmet and Ptah, are you?"  
  
Both Goa'uld looked up in astonishment, and also everybody else at the table stared at Jackson like he had gone insane.  
  
"What gave you the idea?" Sekhmet asked, her eyes glowing.  
  
"You are renegades, hiding from the other Goa'uld on a seemingly deserted planet. Sekhmet must be a powerful system lord, she would not live in such a small temple, in a town which has a camouflage shield. You could have killed everybody in the Stargate basis, but you used shock grenades and Zat guns. Sekhmet is said to have drunk human blood, she was a cruel goddess sent by Ra to punish the humans. You didn't act like that, and you actually are talking to us while sitting at a round table. The system lords are not really famous for their diplomatic skills, so it is highly improbable that you are the real Sekhmet." Daniel gazed at her, his heart pounding in his throat. If he was wrong, he had just tied the noose around his own neck.  
  
Suddenly Sekhmet laughed, and also Ptah looked amused.  
  
"Harper thinks of you as a wise man, Daniel Jackson. I have to admit that he is right", Sekhmet said. "I am Kala'na, wife to Nefertum."  
  
"Sekhmet's son."  
  
"Son to Sekhmet and Ptah", Gershwin confirmed and bowed his head.  
  
"You? But what about Sekhmet and Ptah? Why do you pretend to be them?"  
  
"A long time ago, they were indeed mighty system lords", Nefertum said. "They were cruel and oppressed their people with merciless brutality. They were planning to kill Ra and take over his place as the mightiest Goa'uld."  
  
"What happened?", Daniel asked.  
  
"Imhotep and I had to stop them", Nefertum stated. "They were insane. You cannot imagine what cruelties they were capable of."  
  
"This means you and your brother killed your parents?"  
  
Nefertum nodded. "We decided that we did not want to lose our Kalash like they did, so we destroyed the sarcophagus in the palace. Together with some of our Jaffa we left the planet, and we only return there for short visits."  
  
"Like when SG-7 disturbed you?"  
  
"Yes, we have to keep up the status quo on Sekhmet and Ptah's home planet", Kala'na answered.  
  
"You mean you're working on your own legend?"  
  
"If you want to express it this way, yes. The system lords do not dare to visit Memphis, but if somebody should try he will be received in an appropriate way."  
  
"You said you don't use the sarcophagus. This means you have to change your hosts rather often. Do you always choose them like you chose our friends?"  
  
"We visit different planets on which the descendants of the Ta'uri live. We choose good specimens and take them with us."  
  
Daniel frowned. "Have you ever considered leaving them the choice if they want to become your hosts?"  
  
Kala'na blinked in astonishment. "No. Why should we? We live in their bodies for ten years, then we release them, and they live on this world with us. This is more than any other Goa'uld would do."  
  
"You forget about the Tok'ra."  
  
Nefertum raised an eyebrow. "Who?", he asked.  
  
"You have never heard of the Tok'ra? Maybe you know them under a different name. They are the Goa'uld resistance movement. The Tok'ra fight the system lords like we do, and they live in symbiosis with their hosts. Both parts of this symbiosis are free to speak and decide, and the hosts decided to share their body, mind and knowledge with their symbiont voluntarily."  
  
"This is an unacceptable arrangement", Kala'na said. "I can read in Harper's mind that you speak the truth, but a symbiosis with the host is not possible."  
  
"Why not?" Jackson started to doubt the open-mindedness of the two Goa'uld. "Believe me, this arrangement is an enrichment for both Goa'uld and host." Before one of them could answer to this, he continued, "by the way: how did you, Kala'na, meet Nefertum, and where is Imhotep?"  
  
"Imhotep and his wife are dead. You killed them when we chose new hosts in your basis. I am the daughter to Anuket and Kaltoum who were no system lords. They were subordinates to Sekhmet. I often visited Memphis with them."  
  
"Are there more like you?"  
  
"Only on this planet", Kala'na replied. "Nefertum and I have a son, Nejo'a. Imhotep and his wife have reproduced as well, but the larva is not mature enough yet to live in a host. Our head guard Yaro'C still carries him."  
  
The young Jaffa who had talked to Teal'C bowed his head.  
  
"Nobody else knows of our existence", Kala'na continued. "It would mean too great danger for us if Sekhmet's myth was destroyed."  
  
Daniel looked around. Everybody at the table had fallen silent, stunned by what they had just heard.  
  
Finally, Bukowsky dared to speak. "If your little hide-and-seek game is supposed to be kept secret, what does this mean for us?"  
  
Kala'na and Nefertum looked at each other. "You are the Ta'uri", Nefertum answered. "The Goa'uld system lords hate you and hunt you, and telling them about us would not help you in any way. You know that. As you have no reason to tell our enemies about our existence, you are free to go."  
  
"What about our friends?", Maggie demanded.  
  
"They will be our new hosts. As soon as we have taken over their bodies, we will release your SG-7 warriors to your planet as well. The fourth Ta'uri in our prison will carry Imhotep's heritage as soon as the larva is mature."  
  
"You can't do that!", Maggie shouted, but Daniel laid his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Calm down, fighting will be our last option." Turning to the two Goa'uld, he said, "may I suggest something? We know the Tok'ra; they are strong allies to us. Let us bring one of them here, and you can see with your own eyes how perfectly a symbiosis between Goa'uld and Ta'uri works. He will also answer any questions you might have."  
  
Kala'na nodded. "We are curious. Bring this Tok'ra here, and we will talk to him. Until then, you will be our guests, and you will see your friends."  
  
A whole mountain range was taken off Daniel's mind.  
  
He turned to Bukowsky. "This has become a diplomatic affair. Tell the Marines to draw back and to transfer a message to General Hammond that we need Major Kovacek from SG-9 and Jacob Carter here - as soon as possible."  
  
* * *  
  
When Major Franklin reported everything to General Hammond, Hammond shook his head.  
  
"This is unbelievable. Five Goa'uld have been hiding from their race for thousands of years, built their own town and constructed and maintained a legend which prevented others from research. They don't use sarcophaguses and release their hosts after ten years."  
  
"That's not completely correct, Sir. They must stay on their planet with them."  
  
"Right, but it looks like we have a foundation for negotiations here. Jackson was right, we need our best diplomat for this job. I need Major Stan Kovacek here in ten minutes. Mortens", he turned to the technician, "we have to contact the Tok'ra. Selmak must come here immediately."  
  
Mortens nodded and prepared everything for the transmission.  
  
* * *  
  
The activation of the teleport device caught them totally off-guard.  
  
"Sh-", O'Neill hissed and spurted towards the blue beam.  
  
They made it just in time. When the metal rings disappeared, two Lion Guards were standing there, carrying no staff weapons but Zat guns.  
  
Jack and Rembrandt jumped at guard number one, and Sam and Quinn attacked the other. The Jaffa had obviously not expected resistance, so they didn't have a chance. Soon they had forced them to the ground and taken their Zat'nika'tels.  
  
"Step back", Jack said and fired once at each of the Jaffa.  
  
Satisfied, he looked at them. "Let's get them over there and let them freeze a bit", he said. "I'd love to see their faces when they wake up."  
  
They carried the guards away from the teleport spot and took away the activation devices they wore attached to their hands.  
  
Then Carter, O'Neill and Rembrandt moved back, but Quinn kneeled beside one of the Jaffa and tried to find out how the helmet worked.  
  
"For crying out loud, Mallory!" Jack shouted. "Get moving, what are you waiting for? If you're waiting for Hell to freeze over, well, there you go! Now come on, lazy!"  
  
Quinn gave him a sharp look but joined the others. When they had gathered in the circle, Sam pressed the blue button, which activated the teleport device.  
  
* * *  
  
"We will now allow you to see your friends and explain to them what is going to happen to them." Kala'na nodded, and two Lion Guards went over to the teleport device.  
  
Daniel realized that this had to be the way to the prison. A good solution, he thought. No doors, only the transport beam, this made an escape impossible for prisoners.  
  
Daniel, Colin, Maggie and Teal'C stood up and went over to the metal rings to watch the Jaffa disappear. For a few seconds, nothing happened, then the blue beam filled the column again, and their four friends appeared. They were alone.  
  
* * *  
  
When the rings vanished, Sam and Jack raised the Zat guns they were holding, but then they saw Teal'C and Daniel.  
  
"What's going on here?" Jack asked. "Daniel, are you - you?"  
  
"Everything's okay, Jack", Daniel replied. "Put those guns down, nobody's going to do us any harm." At least not now, he thought. "Where are the guards? Have you -"  
  
"They're sleeping peacefully. Except from some chilblains and a headache they should be alright."  
  
Quinn and Rembrandt saw their friends standing only a few feet away. Upon Daniel's assertion that nobody was threatening them, they went over to Colin and Maggie and hugged them.  
  
"So good to see you again." Quinn kissed Maggie on the cheek and then turned to Colin. "How long till the Slide?"  
  
Colin grinned. "I knew this was going to be your first question. 33 hours and 56 minutes. But I think you better take this", he said and handed the timer to Quinn.  
  
"Hey Q-ball, I don't think this is over yet", Rembrandt remarked.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Almost 34 hours? Do you really believe we have so much time left and don't get into trouble again before the Slide?"  
  
Quinn smiled, but then Daniel approached them.  
  
"I'm afraid he's right", he said. We'll have to stay here for a while, and I think I'll have to explain some things to you."  
  
Kala'na and Nefertum who had stayed in the background now came closer.  
  
"Holy Hannah!" Carter stepped back when she saw Harper and Gershwin whose eyes glowed briefly.  
  
"Daniel, What - Is - Going - On?" Jack raised the gun again.  
  
"Jack, please. Let me explain."  
  
Sam carefully pressed his hands down. "Calm down and let him talk."  
  
Daniel cleared his throat. "Let's sit down, this might take a while."  
  
* * *  
  
After he had explained everything to them, Daniel fell silent and waited for their responses.  
  
He didn't have to wait for long.  
  
"Oh no, no, no, wait a minute." O'Neill shook his head and pointed at Kala'na and Nefertum. "Those figures don't let Harper and Gershwin out to talk with us. The one I blasted away retreated for a moment, and this man was practically begging me to kill him. And now they say they won't let us four go, *and* you serve them Selmak and Carter's father on a silver plate. Tell me what you want, but I don't believe a single word they say."  
  
"Jack, things are not always that easy. Believe me, I have thought about this for a while. There is no sign they have lied at us, and I don't believe that the Goa'uld would think of such a ruse to get a single Tok'ra. They simply think in bigger dimensions."  
  
"Yeah great." O'Neill rolled his eyes. "I hope you know what you're doing, Jackson."  
  
"Why do people keep saying that to me?"  
  
  
  
Kala'na came with Yaro'C and two other guards. "Our hosts must stay in the palace, but the others may move freely. Within the town walls, you may not carry weapons. If you have questions, you can ask us or the inhabitants of the town."  
  
"Oh, I already have a question", Jack said acidly. "What about your pal, the one I had to kill? His host didn't seem to be happy with his situation."  
  
Kala'na winced when Jack mentioned Imhotep. "Most hosts accept their fate after a while. They know that they will be released."  
  
"In ten years! Come on, imagine being caught in your own body for ten years without being able to do anything on your own." He uttered a bitter laugh.  
  
"I guess you have no idea what that's like. I mean, you're the ones who just take their bodies. But try to picture that!" Jack stood up and circled Kala'na.  
  
"You live your life, maybe you have a family, two and a half kids and a Lab. Then one day, aliens come and tear you away from everything you know, everything you love. A nasty, slimy worm - sorry, Ma'am - creeps into your body and gains control over everything. You are condemned to watch while the worm uses your body in any way he wishes. And when finally, after ten endless years, he deigns to release you, you spend the rest of your life hidden on a damn cold planet, knowing that you'll never see your friends and family again. Thanks a lot, but if you try to do this to me, you won't enjoy this arrangement, that's for sure."  
  
Deadly silence filled the room.  
  
Kala'na's eyes started to glow, and she and Jack stared at each other. None of them cast down their eyes.  
  
Daniel stood with bated breath. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white and his fingernails left bloody half moons in his palms.  
  
Finally, Kala'na turned on her heels and dashed out of the temple.  
  
Daniel heaved an indefinable sound as the tension left his chest.  
  
"Colonel!" Carter walked over to him. "I don't know if this was such a good idea", she said.  
  
When Nefertum left the corner he had waited in and came towards them, she involuntarily stepped back.  
  
But his face was expressionless when he said, "the hosts stay in the palace. You others may go where you wish. We will meet again when the Tok'ra has arrived." Then he followed his wife.  
  
"Are you crazy?" Quinn was close to grabbing O'Neill's throat. Instead, he seized him by his shirt, but Jack pushed him away.  
  
"Do you have anything you want to tell me, Slider Boy?"  
  
"You bet! We have a lot to lose, just in case you haven't noticed yet. Insulting those Goa'uld certainly won't help us out of here!"  
  
"Enough!", Carter shouted. "Arguing won't help us, either. Let's give the Goa'uld some time to consider the new ideas we brought to them. They have lived like this for thousands of years, so what did you expect? Right now, all we can do is wait until my father and Selmak arrive, and hope that they can convince the Goa'uld to change their way of life. Until then, we will be locked in again, this time in the temple. I think we should try to get along like adults. But if you two behave like children, we'll have to treat you accordingly. Now Jack and Quinn, shake hands and say sorry."  
  
The others formed a circle around O'Neill and Quinn, and under their amused looks, they slowly shook hands.  
  
Jack gave Sam a despaired look, but she only smiled and silently formed the word "sorry".  
  
Jack sighed. "Okay, I'm sorry. Satisfied?"  
  
Sam nodded. "Now you, Quinn."  
  
"I'm sorry", Quinn grumbled.  
  
Samantha clapped her hands. "Great, now let's all be friends again."  
  
Rembrandt patted her shoulder. "Couldn't have done that better", he whispered in her ear.  
  
Now that they had been shown how ridiculous their behaviour was, Quinn and Jack looked at each other in embarrassment. With a small grin, Jack offered his hand again, and this time their handshake was strong and honest.  
  
* * *  
  
While Daniel and Colin left the temple to explore the town, the others stayed inside, waiting for Kovacek and Carter.  
  
Daniel was in his element when they walked between the houses, which were small and austere. He didn't know where to go first, and he deeply regretted that he didn't have a camera with him.  
  
Colin enjoyed the silence, although he would have wished that the inhabitants of the town had come outside.  
  
Ever since he had left his home world, they had seen many cities, but very rarely had they visited one which had been similar to the village he came from. Even though this town covered a rather large area, it reminded him of his home, and he was happy simply strolling around while the anthropologist in Jackson came to light.  
  
One of the cats approached him, and although it looked like it was wild, it purred and nestled against his leg. Colin smiled and lifted the animal up, stroking its thick brindled coat. "Hi there", he said. "You're a sweetie." The cat mewed and pressed its head against Colin's neck right below his chin.  
  
"Oh, you found a new friend", Daniel remarked, looking up from a small wooden figure somebody had carved and then left standing in front of a house.  
  
"I'd rather say it found me", Colin answered and carefully put the cat back on the ground. "Go and catch a few mice", he said.  
  
The cat laid its head askew and looked at Colin as if to ask, "so what now?"  
  
"Go", he repeated, but the cat didn't move.  
  
When Daniel was finished examining the figure, he went on, and Colin followed him. He hadn't even taken two steps when he stumbled over something. It was the cat which circled around his feet and still purred.  
  
Colin lifted it up again. "Hey pal, you can't follow me. I don't think I can take you with me. Although I'd really love to."  
  
"Give it a try", Daniel said and shrugged. "I mean, on this planet. I don't know anything about cats and Sliding, but it can't hurt if you let it follow you. Is it a he or a she?"  
  
"Sorry pal." Colin raised the cat above his head. "Looks like a girl", he then said. "Do you have an idea what I could call her?"  
  
"We thought we were on Sekhmet's planet. Sekhmet's friendly alter ego is the cat goddess Bastet."  
  
"Bastet? Not bad. So Bastet, you can come with me for now, but I can't promise I'll take you with me when we leave this planet."  
  
They went on, Colin carrying Bastet, while Daniel obtained an overview of the town's structure.  
  
Indeed, the temple was the centre of the town, erected on a stone-paved 300 by 300 feet large square. Apparently the houses hadn't been built at a time, but the town had grown over the years. Daniel reckoned that about 2000 people lived here, not all of them former hosts to the Goa'uld. Many had to be descendants of the abducted humans. Of course, he thought. Those people had founded new families once they had accepted that they had to stay here. He wondered why the Goa'uld still went to other planets to find hosts, especially because there was always the risk of being discovered by other Goa'uld.  
  
Half of the area inside of the town walls was, as they had already noticed when they had arrived, covered by cereal fields. Now Daniel saw small sheds, and when he looked inside, there were animals similar to chicken, only with thick brown feathers which made them look like fluffy balls.  
  
Then suddenly a young girl peered around the corner of a house. She was about six years old, her dark skin, black hair and sparkling brown eyes seemed exotically odd in this place.  
  
"Hello", Daniel greeted her and squatted down to look her in the eyes.  
  
The girl chuckled and drew her head back. Seconds later, she appeared again. After watching Daniel and Colin for a while, she walked towards them, giving them a radiant smile.  
  
When she started to talk, Daniel didn't understand a word. Some fragments sounded like ancient Egyptian, but the language seemed to have developed its own dynamics, most likely influenced by the languages brought to this planet by the hosts.  
  
Daniel was impressed by the quick grasp of the Jaffa who had first talked to them. When he had seen Teal'C, he must have switched back to the Goa'uld language immediately.  
  
When the girl noticed that she couldn't talk to the visitors, she followed them for a while, gesturing with hands and feet, but then a little boy, about the same age as the girl, came out of a house, and they started chatting in their dialect. The boy was the exact opposite of the girl, plump and with blond hair and blue eyes.  
  
Soon they started chasing each other, and minutes later, they were out of sight.  
  
Colin stroked Bastet again. "Aren't there any grown-ups here?" he asked.  
  
"Maybe they are afraid of strangers, or they have order to stay inside their houses. But I think they will soon lose their shyness."  
  
"Oh well, can we go back to the temple? The sun is setting, and when I think back to the last night we spent out there, I can easily do without another one."  
  
Daniel grinned. "Count me in on that. Let's get back before it gets dark."  
  
* * *  
  
When they arrived at the temple, it was almost dark. Inside, torches provided a snug atmosphere, but the warmth and light in the hall wasn't created by fire. Again, Daniel had let himself be deceived by the ancient looks of this Goa'uld building. Behind the plain walls, highly developed technology was hidden.  
  
As they had spent quite a few hours in the town, Daniel had expected to see the Goa'uld negotiating with Major Kovacek and Selmak, but Kala'na and Nefertum weren't there.  
  
The rest of SG-1, the Sliders, Stan Kovacek and Jacob Carter were sitting at the table, SG-6 had dropped to the ground nearby and were playing poker.  
  
"Hi", Daniel said. "What's going on, where are the Goa'uld?"  
  
"Good evening, Dr. Jackson", Jacob replied. "When we arrived, they were not willing to talk to us. Whenever we asked the Lion Guards to be taken to them, they told us their masters had important business to do. It looks like they are letting us wait."  
  
"Fantastic."  
  
Daniel and Colin walked over to the table and each dropped on a chair.  
  
Colin released Bastet, and she jumped on the table and circled it once, greeting everybody with a soft prod of her head.  
  
Soon she had won everybody's hearts, only Teal'C didn't know what to do with the cat. When she came towards him, expecting to be stroked, he looked into her eyes. "I do not understand this animal's behaviour", he said.  
  
"Oh Teal'C", Sam smiled, "she only wants to be cuddled. Give it a try, it's very relaxing for both of you."  
  
Slowly Teal'C raised his hand and patted Bastet's head. She purred and jumped on his lap where she laid down, obviously not planning to leave soon.  
  
Daniel yawned and looked around.  
  
Everybody was getting tired. The day had been very long. At the table, small groups formed, and the humming of low voices filled the room.  
  
Samantha held her father's hand; both smiled when they made up for the long time they hadn't seen each other.  
  
Daniel was surprised to actually see Jack and Quinn talking to each other. It seemed like Carter's intervention had showed effect. Although they didn't have much in common - Quinn was a scientist, not a good foundation to make friends with O'Neill -, they had apparently found a topic they agreed on.  
  
Daniel wished the others a good night and then went into a quiet corner to get some sleep. Bastet, who had immediately spotted him as an easy target, came over and dropped to the ground beside him. When he rolled on his side, she nestled to his chest and fell asleep. With a low sigh, Daniel resigned himself to his restricted elbowroom. After all, it wasn't that uncomfortable having a living, fluffy hot-water bottle.  
  
* * *  
  
When the white morning light awakened him, he saw that most of the others were still sleeping.  
  
Bastet had proven herself disloyal. Colin was lying on his back, quietly snoring, and she had curled herself up on his belly.  
  
Quinn sat with his back against the wall, his legs crossed, and was staring at the timer he was holding in his hand.  
  
Daniel dropped beside him. "What is it?"  
  
Quinn showed him the timer. "16 hours, 23 minutes. And the Goa'uld still haven't showed up."  
  
"Hey, listen", Daniel said. "If we don't get out of here in time, there's still the chance that this world has a Stargate even in the next dimension. I will give you the coordinates of Earth, and if you have to slide before we are back on Earth, you still have something you can try then." He grinned. "If you meet my double on another Earth, give him my regards. Have you ever met your own doubles on your travels?"  
  
"Yes, quite a few times."  
  
"How were they?"  
  
"Oh, sometimes they were very similar to us, sometimes not. A few were really unpleasant colleagues, nobody you'd want to meet. But it was always very interesting."  
  
Daniel nodded. "I've been in a different dimension once, but I haven't met my double."  
  
"Oh, was that the experience Sam meant when she mentioned the mirror?"  
  
"Yes, it took me to a world where the Goa'uld were attacking Earth and had destroyed most cities. My double wasn't a member of the Stargate Command, and as far as I know, he had already been killed. It was a horrible vision, but the visit in this world helped us to save our own."  
  
"So basically it looks like we had a pretty similar job", Quinn smiled. "Travelling around, always saving the world."  
  
"Was that what you were talking about with Jack last night?"  
  
"This, and a few other things. There's more about him than the tough soldier, but he feels uncomfortable showing it. He went through a lot, huh?"  
  
"I don't know what he told you, but yes. Beside that, he's our commanding officer. Despite all, the Stargate Command is a military organization, and a lot depends on his decisions." Daniel stretched his stiff legs. "It seems to me like you are literally the head of your group. You invented the technology which makes Sliding possible, and if I got that right, you are all from different worlds."  
  
"This is a bit complicated, but basically, Rembrandt was with me on our first Slide. The Vortex accidentally got too big, and Remy drove right into it with his car."  
  
"And now you feel responsible for him and your friends."  
  
"Of course. I dragged them into this, and now it's my responsibility to make sure they are alright. Sometimes I felt so guilty, having torn them away from their world."  
  
"But now you have all come to terms with your situation?"  
  
"Yes, more or less."  
  
Colin yawned and opened his eyes. When he sat up, Bastet felt disturbed and padded over to O'Neill.  
  
He coughed and angrily pushed the cat away, rolling to his other side. When Bastet didn't leave him alone, he lifted her up and stood up. Leaning against the wall, he coughed again. "Morning folks", he said in a hoarse voice.  
  
"Jack, are you okay?", Daniel asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure. I guess I caught a cold while sitting in that fridge they call a prison." He sniffled. "Hey, you're the one with the allergies. Do you have a tissue for me?"  
  
* * *  
  
Half an hour later, everybody had gotten up. Except from the two Jaffa guarding the temple's entrance, they were alone.  
  
O'Neill went over to Jacob Carter. "Selmak, what do you think? Why do they let us wait so long?"  
  
Carter bowed his head, and when he looked at O'Neill again, he started to speak with Selmak's voice.  
  
"Samantha told me what you said to Kala'na. Her reaction is difficult to interpret, but I think she and Nefertum need time to think. I do not believe that you really insulted her, you may rather have shocked her by showing her the other side of what they do."  
  
Major Kovacek joined them. "Selmak is right. Most diplomatic affairs need sure instinct and, most important, time. It doesn't take much thought to start a war. Much more consideration, empathy, and carefulness on both sides are necessary to make peace. Your outburst was unwise, but it might have been an impulse for these Goa'uld they first have to digest."  
  
O'Neill rubbed his sore eyes. "I hope you're right."  
  
* * *  
  
They stayed in the temple, getting more restless each minute. Daniel left a few times, but didn't return with useful information as he could make no sense of the inhabitants' dialect. Also SG-6 set out to get some fresh air, but they, too, returned after a few hours.  
  
* * *  
  
Around noon, Yaro'C suddenly appeared.  
  
"Selmak, rene'a. Kala'na hai Nefertum keb'ai tak're ha."  
  
Selmak stood up. "He says Kala'na and Nefertum now want to talk to me."  
  
"What about me?", Kovacek asked.  
  
When he followed Selmak, Yaro'C gave him a piercing look but didn't hinder him from coming with them.  
  
Everybody else watched them leave.  
  
"Now it's serious", Daniel sighed.  
  
"What shall we do now?", Colin wanted to know.  
  
O'Neill coughed again. "Guess."  
  
"Okay, okay. We'll wait."  
  
* * *  
  
The longer Selmak and Kovacek stayed away, the stronger the tension among them grew.  
  
O'Neill suggested that SG-6 left for Earth, but Bukowsky and his men wanted to stay.  
  
"If our diplomats and the Goa'uld don't come to an agreement, you might need backup", Bukowsky said.  
  
* * *  
  
After two hours of waiting, Jack actually let Quinn try to explain the basics of Sliding to him. Quinn was rather inattentive, though, as his gaze kept being caught by the timer's red display.  
  
When it showed 4 hours and 47 minutes, Selmak, Kovacek, Yaro'C, Kala'na and Nefertum returned.  
  
Everybody in the temple stood up and looked at them expectantly.  
  
"Ta'uri", Kala'na started. "We have talked to the Tok'ra Selmak and also to his host Jacob Carter. And we have decided to follow their advice."  
  
Quinn pressed Maggie's hand, Rembrandt hugged Sam, and O'Neill forgot to cough for a second.  
  
"Please sit down", Nefertum continued, "and let us explain the results of our negotiations to you."  
  
Two other Lion Guards appeared, each carrying a chair. Now SG-1, the Sliders, the Goa'uld and the two successful diplomats all could gather at the table, while SG-6 stood nearby.  
  
When they were all seated, Kala'na continued.  
  
"The idea you brought to our minds was something we did not understand at first. We only knew what we had learned from our parents: The Goa'uld are the most powerful race in the world, and their hosts are empty shells only existing to serve as a body for them. We thought of ourselves as rebels and renegades, but in our efforts to hide from the system lords, we hid from the rest of the world as well."  
  
Kala'na looked at Jack. "When O'Neill explained to me what our way of life means to our hosts, I was puzzled. And angry", she smiled. "I had never thought of our hosts as individuals, although I should have known better. I have shared the knowledge of many humans over the years, but I have never tried to learn about their personality. After O'Neill had told me about the hosts' feelings, about their loss and fears, I went to my chamber, and for the first time, I did not suppress my host's mind but contacted it and communicated with it, or as Lieutenant Harper would say -"  
  
"- We had a little chat." This was Harper's voice, and he smiled. "Don't worry, I'll now let Kala'na tell the rest of the story." His eyes glowed briefly, and Kala'na took over.  
  
"I shared his feelings, learned about his life, and in the instant that I realized I had occupied the body of an individual with an own opinion, an own mind, an own soul, I knew I would never be able to do this again. My view had changed. Harper now was somebody, a person, one which I knew just as well as myself."  
  
"And this was the moment when she called us to talk", Jacob added.  
  
Kala'na nodded. "I had a long talk with Nefertum, and he also got in touch with his host. We were both ready to learn, but we needed a teacher. It is very difficult to keep this delicate balance which makes the difference between parasite and symbiont. Selmak and Jacob Carter helped us with their experience and wisdom, and we were ardent students. Nejo'a was sceptical, but he learned well. We are now ready to live in symbiosis with our host - one who voluntarily joins together with us."  
  
"We have agreed to stay with them until they have met and befriended their future hosts", Harper continued. "This is weird and frightening, and I'll be glad to be back on Earth, but hell, I will miss my girl."  
  
"I will also miss Harper", Kala'na said. "He is like a long-time friend to me."  
  
Both Carters nodded, very well understanding what they meant.  
  
"You are all free to go - or to stay if you want to. We regard you as our friends, and we hope that you accept and return our friendship. Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, Quinn Mallory and Rembrandt Brown", she stood up and bowed her head, "please accept our apologies for what we did to you, and for what we intended to do to you."  
  
Sam stepped towards her and hugged her gently, and Jack, Quinn, and Rembrandt nodded, each of them sincerely returning her smile.  
  
"May I ask you something?", Daniel asked. "The hosts you brought here, they have founded families. Why didn't you take them for hosts instead of visiting other planets?"  
  
Kala'na's face was sad when she answered, "we took their bodies. We did not want to take their children as well. When we tried, women started to hide their babies in the woods where they died. That was not what we wanted."  
  
Quinn cleared his throat. "Kala'na, this was an incredible experience, and we would love to stay and see how this develops, but I'm afraid we have to go. My friends and I don't belong into this world, and it is time for us to leave."  
  
Kala'na nodded. "I understand. Quinn Mallory, I hope we will meet again one day."  
  
"So do I." Quinn smiled at her, then turned to go. His friends followed him, and after they had said goodbye, also SG-1, Selmak, Kovacek and SG-6 left the palace.  
  
* * *  
  
"Aah, fresh air." O'Neill took a deep breath, and immediately burst into a coughing fit.  
  
Quinn grinned and patted his back. "Take it easy. One breath after another."  
  
"What does the timer say?", Jack replied.  
  
"4 hours, 5 minutes."  
  
"Oh, great. Wouldn't have borne you a minute longer."  
  
It was hard to tell whose grin was broader.  
  
* * *  
  
They walked through the woods, led by Yaro'C, until they reached the Gate.  
  
The Gate team was still faithfully waiting, and within a few minutes they had packed up their things.  
  
Daniel dialled the coordinates to Earth and activated the Stargate.  
  
After sending the SG code, they walked through the Chappa'ai one after another. O'Neill was the last to go, and waving Yaro'C goodbye, he stepped through the event horizon.  
  
* * *  
  
When they arrived in the Stargate basis, General Hammond was already waiting for them in the Gate room.  
  
After O'Neill had stepped on the ramp, a small brown shadow dashed through the Gate.  
  
Colin turned around.  
  
"Bastet!" He lifted the cat up and stroked her. "And I told her not to follow me."  
  
"I believe you all have a lot to report", Hammond said. "Mr. Mallory, do you have time left until your slide?"  
  
"Almost three hours."  
  
"In this case, I would like to see you at the post-mission briefing. Does anybody need medical assistance?" He looked at O'Neill who didn't seem very well.  
  
"What?" Jack noticed that upon Hammond's question, everybody looked at him. "I have a cold, for Pete's sake. I've been worse." He shook his head and marched out of the Gate room, off to the shower room.  
  
Sam grinned. "Quite himself again."  
  
They turned to go, but stopped when Hammond loudly cleared his throat.  
  
Sam could hardly stifle an outburst of laughter when she saw Hammond standing there, staring at Bastet who rubbed against his leg, purring and obviously very content.  
  
Colin hid his laughter under a coughing fit, dashed over to Hammond and grabbed Bastet.  
  
"Come on, Bast, we're going. Let's see if we can find something to eat for you."  
  
* * *  
  
After they had taken a shower, changed their clothes and eaten something, they gathered in the briefing room.  
  
"Major Kovacek, have we found new allies in these Goa'uld?", Hammond asked.  
  
"They want to join the Tok'ra, and with their technology, which is unknown to the system lords, they will definitely be an enrichment for the Tok'ra, and for us. We have found a new friendly planet with lots of resources to discover, and who knows what this long cultivated legend around the persons of Sekhmet and Ptah will bring us."  
  
Hammond nodded. "Thanks to all of you, this mission was a big success, and it was a large step in our fight against the system lords as well as our diplomatic development. I am proud of you." He turned to Quinn. "Mr. Mallory, is there anything we can do for you and your friends before you leave?"  
  
"One thing at least", Colin said. "We can't take Bastet with us, she would only be in our way on our Slides. So if you -"  
  
Bastet jumped on the table, trotted over to Jack and pressed her head against his neck.  
  
Jack gave Hammond a puppy-like look. "Can we keep her?", he asked.  
  
Hammond stared at the cat for a while. "We will see", he finally said.  
  
Sam grinned. She had been a daughter for long enough to know that they had won.  
  
"Great, we didn't have an SGC mascot until now", Daniel remarked. "And a cat goddess isn't the worst choice."  
  
"There's one more thing I'd like to ask you for", Quinn added with a boyish smile.  
  
* * *  
  
They all stood in the Gate room, a bit sad because they had to say goodbye.  
  
Rembrandt hugged Sam. "Take care of yourself", he said.  
  
"You too, Remy", she answered and took his hands. "I hope you'll find a world where you can really be at home."  
  
Sam turned to Quinn. "Goodbye, Genius", she smiled. "It was great to meet you, you can be proud of your discovery."  
  
"Thanks", Quinn said. "It was good to meet you, too. I will miss our little chats." He kissed her on the cheek.  
  
Jack placed himself in front of Quinn. "Well then, Slider Boy. What can I say? I wish you a good trip - and keep your folks together, okay?"  
  
"You too, O'Neill. And try to get some rest between each two save-the-world missions."  
  
They both grinned and shook hands.  
  
Colin patted Daniel's shoulder. "Can you look after Bastet for me? I'd sleep better if I knew someone cared for her."  
  
"Yes, sure. She'll have a great life here, don't worry. And keep exploring. I wish we could meet again and just talk about all those discoveries."  
  
Quinn looked at the timer. "20 seconds. If you still have something to say, do it now!"  
  
The last hugs were shared, and Quinn glanced at General Hammond who nodded.  
  
"I just had to do that", Quinn grinned and pointed the timer at the closed Stargate.  
  
The Vortex opened, again in the very centre of the iris.  
  
Maggie was the first to run up the ramp and dive into the whirl. Colin followed; Rembrandt went next, waving over his shoulder as he ran. Quinn smiled broadly. "See y'all!", he called, ran up the ramp and leaped into the Vortex.  
  
Seconds later, the whirl closed.  
  
"Safe journey", General Hammond murmured.  
  
After a few seconds of silence, SG-1 slowly left the Gate room, preparing for their next mission. 


End file.
